1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for assuring reliability and originality of information for evaluating an operation performed on an image reading apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Authentication and an evaluation of an operation performed by a user, of an operating procedure, and of an operating parameter have been performed for an image reading apparatus. When the authentication and the evaluation are performed, it is necessary to assure, with precision, credibility, reliability, and an authorized original of information used for the authentication and the evaluation. For example, a personal computer directly connected to the image reading apparatus identifies an image reading apparatus and acquires information related to the operating parameters for the image reading apparatus, using predetermined driver software.
For a security enhancement independently promoted by each enterprise, a trusted computing group (TCG) as an industry organization of the enterprises that provide technologies for personal computer (PC) platforms contributes to develop and promote new hardware/software having higher reliability and security. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-317026 discloses a technology with which the TCG determines a specification of a trusted platform module (TPM) chip related to a security chip for a computing platform. Further, the security can be improved by performing an authentication with a combination of a biometric authentication, an electronic certificate by a certificate authority, and an authentication of parameter information based on a class of usage parameter of an information processing apparatus. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-157790 discloses a technology of a security determining method, a security determining system, and a security determining apparatus, which maintain appropriate security and realize a smooth transmitting and receiving of information.
However, according to the conventional technology, because the predetermined driver software has simply been used, information used for the evaluation can be fraudulently altered. Therefore, there is a problem that the credibility, the reliability, and the authorized original of the information used for the evaluation cannot be assured with precision.